Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Princes Town Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Princes Town

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $766 in Princes Town, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,300 in Princes Town, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,834 in Princes Town, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 65% more than Princes Town, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Playa del Carmen and Princes Town are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Princes Town 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$10.13 TTD 68.2

14.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$58.6 TTD 394

-19.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$8.20 TTD 55.2

44.88%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$3.81 TTD 25.62

4.46%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.00 TTD 6.73

43.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.77 TTD 5.17

6.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.89 TTD 12.72

68.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.61 TTD 17.57

160.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$2.05 TTD 13.77

-18.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$2.29 TTD 15.42

-3.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$2.81 TTD 18.93

-39.15%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$3.81 TTD 25.64

-28.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$6.60 TTD 44.38

45.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$10.26 TTD 69.0

-12.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$8.67 TTD 58.3

47.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$5.55 TTD 37.32

-47.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.48 TTD 16.71

-39.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$3.77 TTD 25.35

-42.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$4.18 TTD 28.12

-45.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.72 TTD 4.82

175.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$0.76 TTD 5.13

161.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.43 TTD 9.63

-13.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$1.21 TTD 8.12

-0.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$5.47 TTD 36.78

-16.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$17.50 TTD 118

-40.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.56 TTD 10.47

3.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.95 TTD 19.82

-2.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$0.89 TTD 6.01

505.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.86 TTD 5.82

333.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$15.01 TTD 101

-61.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.11 TTD 7.47

38.74%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$37.1K TTD 249.4K

-39.18%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$41.7K TTD 280.2K

-37.44%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$91.4 MX$1,576

$44.30 TTD 298

106.28%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$25.20 MX$435

$42.13 TTD 283

-40.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$45.22 TTD 304

-30.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$8.99 TTD 60.5

-45.94%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$224 MX$3,856

$403 TTD 2,711

-44.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$10.9K TTD 73.1K

-61.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$54.9 TTD 369

-14.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$37.57 TTD 253

17.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$87.8 TTD 591

-8.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$87.4 TTD 588

6.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.75

99.13%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Princes Town: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $59.0 in Princes Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $318 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Playa del Carmen vs Princes Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 65%, and the gap shows up most in Sport & Entertainment. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,149 in Princes Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $766 in Princes Town. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $403 in Princes Town. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Princes Town, where all-in costs run around $766, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Princes Town it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Princes Town – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Princes Town. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.